Kids are guzzling less soda but more energy and coffee drinks

Today’s kids are drinking less soda pop, according to a study in ‘Pediatrics.’

The good news is that today’s children and teens are drinking less soda, according to a new study published this month.

The bad news is that American youth have replaced their soda habit with something equally unhealthful: energy drinks. They’re also guzzling more coffee.

None of this is surprising if you’ve been to your local mall recently and noticed the teenagers walking around with Starbucks Frappucinos and cans of Red Bull. These sugary, caffeine-packed drinks are addictive with Starbucks coffee containing 21 mg of caffeine per ounce and Red Bull containing 10 mg per ounce. By comparison Regular Coke has 2.9 mg per ounce, according to The New York Times.

For the study published in the journal Pediatrics, a team of researchers analyzed data on the caffeine intake of people ages 2 to 22 from 1999 to 2010. They found that 62 percent of kids and teens “got most of their caffeine from soda” in 1999, according to Time.com. In 2010, the number decreased to 38 percent.

In 1999, energy drink consumption wasn’t significant enough to even appear in the data, but 6 percent of youth caffeine intake was from these types of beverages by 2010. Coffee increased from 10 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2010.

While the reduction in soda consumption is encouraging, the increase in energy drinks is of concern. The American Academy of Pediatrics released an announcement in 2011 stating that children should not consume sports and energy drinks.

“There is a lot of confusion about sports drinks and energy drinks, and adolescents are often unaware of the differences in these products,” said Dr. Marcie Beth Schneider, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Nutrition and co-author of the report. “Some kids are drinking energy drinks – containing large amounts of caffeine – when their goal is simply to rehydrate after exercise. This means they are ingesting large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which can be dangerous.”

“For most children engaging in routine physical activity, plain water is best,” said Dr. Holly J. Benjamin, a member of the executive committee of the AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, and a co-author of the report. “Sports drinks contain extra calories that children don’t need, and could contribute to obesity and tooth decay. It’s better for children to drink water during and after exercise, and to have the recommended intake of juice and low-fat milk with meals. Sports drinks are not recommended as beverages to have with meals.”

Energy drinks and coffee are high in caffeine, which has been linked to a number of harmful health effects in children, including effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular system.